Thursday, May 31, 2018

We drove up to Michiana, Michigan for Memorial Day Weekend with Jeff's family, and let me tell you, it may have changed my opinion on where I would want to vacation. Growing up my family always roadtripped up to northern Wisconsin or to the boundary waters in Minnesota, which was beautiful but far - we're talking a 10 hour roadtrip. Michigan though? Turns out you can get there from Chicago in an hour and a half (even less for Jeff's brother in the South Loop!) which is incredible for a girl who thinks that Wicker Park is too far away to ever consider visiting ;)

I had no idea really what to expect, but we were basically staying in the woods surrounded by hills, just a quick five minute walk to the beach! There were beautiful sunsets over the lake, gorgeous houses to google and discover that no, we can never afford them, some cute restaurants, and vineyards and tasting rooms that actually had good wine. We loved Stop 50 for pizza and had an amazing afternoon at Dablon Winery out on the patio at splitting a couple bottles of wine and a cheese tray. I also loved the afternoon we spent down at the beach listening to the waves, although I was the only one brave enough to go in for a swim.

The only downside? We were staying literally blocks from the Indiana/Michigan border which meant we had no idea what time it was all weekend - our phones kept switching between Eastern and Central time! It was particularly disconcerting to discover we all got up at 6:30 one morning without realizing - who are we?!

We're actually heading off with Jeff's family again on Saturday for a week at the beach down near St. Augustine, Florida! Nothing like back-to-back vacations to kick off the summer ;)

Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Every month I post about my clothing budget. My budget per month is $350, which may seem like a lot to some and a little to others, but feels just right for me. You can read my thoughts on my 2017 budget here.

I keep overdoing it on the warm weather clothes. The dress section of my closet is basically exploding out of its space, and I have so many warm weather outfits I want to wear that I don't know what to do. Here's what I purchased this month:

J.Crew Factory Chambray Dress - originally $79.50, on sale $47.50. As I mentioned in my J.Crew Factory post earlier this week, this dress is amazing. I wore it over the weekend in Michigan to go wine tasting, and it is so comfortable and flattering and cute. Definitely size up in this as the chest area runs small.BP Earrings - originally $14, on sale $7.98. I initially thought I would return these, and then all the sudden I was wearing them. Guess they're staying ;)LOFT Striped Top - originally $54.50, on sale $34.33. This top is all of my favorite things and so comfortable - definitely a great purchase for the summer! I may or may not be wearing it as I write this.J.Crew Factory Tee - $14.50. I've always loved J.Crew's tees for their amazing quality at a low price point, but their Studio Tee (my go-to) always feels a little more formal. This version is perfectly broken in and comfortable. I suggest going up a size or two in these as they typically shrink.LOFT Travel Wrap - originally $49.50, on sale $26.73. I shared this scarf/wrap here and really, it is basically the perfect summer layer.LOFT Striped Shirt Dress - originally $79.50, on sale $42.93. I also thought I would return this dress - I initially ordered it in a Tall and it was just too oversized and shapeless. But then I sized down and got the regular length, and with a different belt it's really cute. I'll definitely be choosing it for work and the weekends this summer.J.Crew Factory Beaded Necklace - originally $49.50, on sale $20.00. This was definitely an impulse buy on the way to the cash register, and I actually haven't gotten a chance to wear it yet. The color is just so pretty in person I couldn't resist! I can definitely see pairing it with a little white dress this summer.LOFT Embroidered Shift Skirt - originally $79.50, on sale $42.93. This skirt looks really short on the model so I was anticipating it being a weekend only piece, but in the tall it's actually long enough for me to wear to work! The embroidery is really pretty and I love the blue.J.Crew Factory Gingham Dress - originally $69.50, on sale $33.60. Is it really annoying when people describe inanimate objects as their spirit animals? Because this dress might just be my spirit animal.
(not pictured) Coach Factory Pink Crossbody - originally $350, on sale $99.00, used giftcard $0. I don't buy a lot of designer bags, but when I do they had better be pink and on sale ;) You can see the bag here - isn't the color gorgeous? I basically couldn't not have it.

Total Spent: $270.50
Total Saved: $219.50, not including the bag

Whew, surprisingly under budget. Really, I thought I had gone way over. For next month I'm not shopping for anything in particular, but if another pretty summer dress catches my eye I probably won't say no ;)

I saw this top and I basically needed it - I mean, the stripes! The crochet! And the perfect, oversized, drape-y fit. It's great with regular denim, it's great with white denim, it's great with shorts, and it's also super adorable tucked into skirts. Win win win win.

Oh, and I'd be remiss not to mention how much I love these sandals too. I'm not usually one for any height in my shoes, I typically pick flats every day for comfort. But these espadrilles are somehow so comfortable! I can (and have) walked miles in them and they don't rub anywhere and somehow don't make the balls of my feet hurt. It's like they're magic shoes. If white sandals aren't your thing, they actually come in four colors - the tan is so cute on girls who have a little more color than I do, and I freaking love the grey too!

And I managed to find this bag back in stock!! Since I bought it back in January I've seen it come back in stock and then sell out at a bunch of different stores, so snag it now if it's on your wishlist! It's a little pricey for such a fun piece, but I love it so much I personally think it's worth it. If you're looking for something a little more budget-friendly, I also love this one!

This week is going to be a rough one, after getting back from our weekend trip yesterday (more on that to come!), the short work week, and then packing up to head out on another adventure next week! I have a full week of content coming at you though, including my May budget post, so stay tuned!!

Monday, May 28, 2018

I usually don't find anything in stores at J.Crew Factory, which really is incredible because it means I can make my returns in stores and walk out empty-handed. Ummm, except for the last time I ran in. Their spring styles are so cute I had to try on a bunch for you, and walked out with a few too! Sharing today in case you're shopping the sales - enjoy your Memorial Day!!

I saw this online and thought it was adorable, but the reviews said it was really cropped so I never added it to my cart. It turns out it can be as long or as short as you want it, because the ties are adjustable. I ultimately didn't go for it because I didn't want another top I had to wear a strapless bra with, but it is super cute in person - also comes in navy stripes.

I grabbed this at the last second and was surprised by how much I liked it - it's basically a cardigan but with a little bit of structure that makes it look like so much more. I think it'll be a great layer for the office in the summer, and will also be cute to pair with my white jeans. This ended up coming home with me ;)

This tee is super adorable and I love the ties on the sleeves - a nice twist on a basic. I would have preferred the XL though or even the XXL in case it shrinks in the wash, which J.Crew Factory tees tend to do.

The embroidery on this top is beautiful, but the sizing is not right for a busty gal - you can kind of see it but it was gaping really far above my bust and basically showing my whole bra through the arm holes.

I loved this dress in the 14 but it was just a little too tight in the bust, so I thought I'd try the 16 in stores. I just thought the fabric was a little too flimsy once I got into the 16, it didn't have the structure to hold itself up. But, I loved the chambray version...

Ahh the chambray version - ain't she pretty?! I love that this version has slightly thicker fabric and the little ties at the shoulder! I know that I definitely could have waited out another week and gotten this dress for a way cheaper price but decided I needed it NOW and bought it on a not great price, and I still think it's worth it - that's how good it is!!

This has been on my wishlist for a while because the pom poms are so freaking cute, but in person it didn't wow me quite as much. It's shapeless and I didn't love the neckline - kind of like a vicar, huh?

How freaking cute is this dress?! I love the tie sleeves and the gingham, and I love that it's not too low of a v-neck. It's the perfect little piece to dress up and to dress down. Just a note that the gingham is black, not navy.

Friday, May 25, 2018

Happy long weekend!!! We're driving up to Michigan tonight to spend the weekend in a cabin on the beach with Jeff's family and I couldn't be more excited for a few days away. Now that we're in full summer mode (well, sort of - it was 50 degrees in Chicago this week) I'm all about the pretty dresses and fun accessories. Here are my finds for this week:

Thursday, May 24, 2018

I keep ordering things from LOFT and then ran into the store last week, so I have lots of goodness to share with you! I actually tried on a few more things in stores but can't find them online for the life of me! So I'll go ahead and share them if they become available.

Me in this picture: I don't need a kimono I don't need a kimono I don't need a kimono ;)

But really I love this. I thought based on the photos online that it wouldn't be soft, but it's really a soft, knit material. I grabbed the xs/s size - I suggest always going for the smaller size for kimonos/wraps because they are typically so large. It's currently sitting in my shopping cart waiting for the sale I assume is coming this weekend.

This is so cute and super soft in person. The entire side is basically a side slit though, so know that whatever you wear underneath is super visible. The top is really cropped in the smaller sizes but gets larger as you size up. I'm in a large here which has a great length, but the medium was way too short.

I'm wearing these in the outfit above too, they're really comfortable and fit true to size. I thought the way they're cut isn't the best for me though, they're smaller in the waist and really large in the leg openings.

I love this blazer too, so freaking cute!! I only own black and navy blazers, so I'd love to have a grey option. The sleeves were too short (hence the roll), but online it comes in a tall also. I grabbed a 14 which is my typical size. I'd love to have this in the office for when the air conditioner is blasting, but I think it would also be really cute dressed down with a tee and shorts.

I've been looking for a pair of light wash jeans to wear with warm weather tops but have come up empty so far. I love the little bit of distressing on these, but the crop is just too short on me. The fit is true to size.

I thought this skirt was adorable and fit true to size. It just isn't quite for my body type, you can see that it's trying to give me hips. So so pretty for summer though, I love the slightly longer length.

These shorts are so freaking adorable. I love the little ruffle, they look more like a mini skirt in real life. They are a little bit of a dressier fabric which I love. I tucked in my tank here so you could see them, but I don't think I would really tuck in real life. They do have a side zip and fit true to size.

I freaking love this top. It's light and airy, the fit is slightly over-sized (wearing a large here) and the crochet detailing is oh so cute. I wore it with regular denim over the weekend, but would love to pair it with white shorts.

This top is lightweight and I love the pom poms, but the cut is a little problematic. The straps are way too long on me but there isn't a good place where it looks like they could be tailored. Plus the boob gap in the front... not cute! Wearing an XL here.

I love the light blue color and the eyelet, and there s a really pretty trim along the neck and arm holes. I'm wearing my typical dress size here and I just wasn't thrilled with the shape on me so thi swent back.

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Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Happy (almost) Memorial Day Weekend!! I'm actually around this year which is unusual - I've spent the past two long weekends volunteering with Destination Imagination. Jeff's mom won a weekend away in a beach house in Michigan a long time ago and was supposed to use it for an off-season weekend. For some reason the owner let us take Memorial Day (what?!) so we're driving up on Friday afternoon. It's not looking like the weather is totally going to cooperate, but we've got some board games packed and plans to visit a winery or two.

I love any excuse to dress patriotically - how about you? I put together a couple of outfit ideas in case you're looking for something to wear for the long weekend, or if you're feeling particularly industrious and are already planning for the Fourth of July: